University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders in Chile: Day 6
05/09/2026 | General, Women's Basketball, Spider Performance
Good morning Spiders!
It's day 6 in Chile with only a day left of this trip of a lifetime.Â
Our day started at 7:30 am for our last breakfast in Pućon. At breakfast we realized the volcano towering over the town was visible from our window when the clouds cleared. We weren't able to see until then that the huge, snow covered mountain was so easy to see from most of our rooms. We went outside to a lake nearby to take in the breathtaking view of the volcano. We took the photo opportunity before loading back onto the bus and saying goodbye to Pucón.Â
Then, we were off to Temuco! Our first stop was to the stadium for the professional soccer team, the Deportes Temuco club. There we met with the sport department of Temuco municipality to talk about their role in the city. The organization manages 44 different sites for physical activity that are paid for by tax money and national government funding. Whether it's bike paths, soccer fields or basketball courts, the community has plenty of opportunities to exercise. The focus was to include people of all talents and abilities with programs for the elderly all the way to 3 years old. It was very clear how passionate the city is in staying active.Â
Soccer is Chile's most popular sport which explains the need for 220 programs within the City of Temuco. We thought that number was so impressive. The best part though, participation to play is free of charge! The leader of this section of the organization was Patricio Lira Navarrete, a former professional soccer player and head coach for Deportes Temuco. We loved hearing his story and his involvement to give back to the community.Â
After hearing all of the goals the municipality has for the city we got a tour of the some of the public facilities for sports like soccer, roller skating, and tennis that were all full of people despite being a cold fall day. They even took us on the field to feel what it would be like to be a professional. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, the tour ended with a walk through the old locker room that turned museum and we got to meet the legendary Chilean goalkeeper, Marcelo León.Â
All the walking worked up an appetite for a trip to a local mall and lunch at the food court. We took it to go to eat on the van hurry over to Cautìn Island park where we met Camila, a professor at a local university to explain the history and ecology of the area. She told us about the different trees on the island, some of which are good for the environment and some that aren't. One specific kind, the Temu trees, were especially interesting. They're significant in the Mapuche culture and are the reason the city is named Temuco.Â
While the ground was beautiful and seemed to be a hot spot for recreation like skateboarding, dirt biking, and gardening, it has quite the history. Camila explained how Cautín island was used during the Chilean dictatorship coup as a military base and site for execution. The park has a memorial in the center honoring the 7 victims that were executed there and the hundreds of others that haven't been found. We had the chance to pay our respects to the victims and appreciate how the space is now being used to better the community after its dark past. Overall, despite the cold, we loved being outside and learning why preserving the park is such a passion for the victims families and the Mapuche people, and this tied together, one of the themes we've been learning about this entire semester.
Then, we traveled to the airport to return to Santiago for one more adventure tomorrow before we fly home. The flight was a quick hour with mountains and forests as window views. Most of us took a much needed nap on the way and when we arrived we had a great dinner together at the hotel where we reminisced on the Temuco and Pućon leg of the trip and enjoyed our last night together on this amazing trip. To cap off the night, our guide, Kei, continued our groups salsa lessons. We had a great time performing what we've learned and ended the evening reflecting upon all of our experiences, together. We can't wait to make the most of our last day in Chile tomorrow!
Ava Persichetti
Women's Basketball
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